Smith and Lucille Gibson Chair in Medicine
School of Medicine
Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., professor and distinguished university scholar in the Institute of Molecular Cardiology, professor of medicine, and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, joined UofL in 1998. He was elected a fellow of the American Heart Association in 2005. Dr. Bhatnagar is a Distinguished University Scholar and a Fellow of the American Heart Association.
His research interests include cardiovascular effects of environmental pollutants, atherosclerosis, injury from loss of blood to the heart muscle, cardiovascular complications of diabetes, and sepsis. Bhatnagar’s work has led to the creation of the new field of environmental cardiology. His research is supported by several grants from the National Institutes of Health, including two program-projects.
Dr. Bhatnagar is a graduate of Kanpur University, India and received his post-doctoral training at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Dr. Bhatnagar is known for his pioneering work on the role of the polyol pathway of glucose metabolism and how it is regulated by nitric oxide.
Dr. Bhatnagar’s research has led to the elucidation of certain mechanisms by which free radicals and lipid peroxidation products affect the function of individual ion channels. He is currently serving on the Editorial Boards of both Circulation Research and Circulation, has participated in over 50 National Institutes of Health review panels and is the author of over 120 publications.
Dr. Bhatnagar leads a group of 30 investigators focused on developing a better understanding of the cardiovascular complications of diabetes.